The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-06-29
And Els Gang Of ut-Throa.s Captured By q
Shsrif snd lis PasSs.
End Of the BIooiisst Mountain Vsndests
Known to thu History Of ths STATE.
Great Rejoicing Among the Citizens OF
Rowan over the Outcome of AT
fairs-DetaiIs of the Battle.
OUTRAGED LAW INDICATED.


LOUISVILLE, June PIN Kentucky's
shame, the lawless county of Rowan, was
this morning enacted what will beyond sll
doubt prove the final chapter ia the blood
lest mountain vendetta known to
the history of the State. The elimination
was reached in the tragic end OF four
desperate men, who forfeited their lives
while resisting the mandates of the law.
After the destruction OF thousands of dol
lars worth of property, and, up to this
writing, the loss OF twenty-one lives, Rowan
County can now return TO peace and pros
perity. Craig Tolliver, the famous desper-
ado, was probably the immediate cause Of
the outraged law being vindlcsted.
To-days good work ends the succession
of tragedies that have been enacted in that
county since the beginning OF the Martin
Tolliver feud, not quite two years ago, the
result OF which mp TO date has been the
sending of twenty-one souls into eter-
nifty, the maimirg and Gripping for
life Of at least a score more of
persons, the destruction of all social rela-
tons anG of nearly the entire Business in
teTests OF the country, and the bringing
about of state of lawlessness and terror
ism that have driven good men, with their
families away from home and friends 10
country, where they might live without be-
Ing in constant fear of their lives.
In the August, 1884, elections after q
heated contest. Cook Humphreys was g! ect-
ed Sheriff of Rowan County by forty
majority over Sam Goodwin. DURING The
CT nYass many animosities were engendered
the Martins allving themselves with
Humphreys and the Toliyers with Good
wins cause. Craig Tolliver, the leader of
the latter faction, whose name in
kentucky has grown as VIGOROUSLY
familiar as was that of Jesse James
in Missouri several years ago swore after
the election that Humphreys should never
ride Rowan County as Sheriff. Since that
date life after life has been offered up on
the altar OF hatred and bad blood with in
crossing frequency, DESPITE the best efforts
Of the judiciary and militia, backed by the
strong arm of the State government.
The names of the victims in the order
killed, are as follows: Solomon Bradley,
John Martin. Whit Pslfrey, b. Caudelle,
Deputy Sheriff Baumgartuer. Mason Kee-
ton, John NARROW, John Davis, Wiley Toll
liver, railroad emplOye named Witcher,
Willis Logan, Ben Rayburn, John Day,
Floyd Tclliver, and party whose name is
not remembered, besides the two recent
victims, John Il. Logan aud w. II. Logan.
snd tO.dsv's last, Craig Tolliver, But Tolli-
yer, Jay Tolliver and Hiram Cooper.
A special 10 the Courier Journal from
Lexington, ky., gives the particulars as
follows:
The news from Rowan County to-day is
of the most exciting kind, as it appears to
be an indisputable fact that Craig Tolliyer
Is killed and his gang dismemhe for
ever. The news comes by Lexington
minister and others who came tn ough
Morehead to-day on the Chesapeake and
Ohio train from Norfolk. Va, at abou- $50
O'Clock this morning.
When this train was within few miles
OF Morehead it was tagged by some citi-
Zens, and when 1t came TO stop they ia.
formed the conductor that q bloody bate
wos going on in Morehead between q Sher-
if posse and the TolIiver gang, and that
it would lot be safe to proceed until hos
tiljties ceased. The passengers and traic
men were all very much frightened,
and at their solicitation the conductor
ran the train to Martins switch, two miles
and half east of Morehead. There they
remained until nearly ID o'clock, when
THEY were notified that the fighting was
over and that the train might pass through
the town with safety. The train stopped
for some time at Morehead, and there the
passengers learned the particulars OF the
battle, which appear to be about as fol-
lows:
Sheriff Hogg, presumably acting under
instructions from the State authorities, for
he recently visited Frankfort to see Cover
Der Knott, has been for about week
quietly organizing a very large posse of
determined men in the upper part of Rowan
County and in the adjoining counties for
the purpose Of arresting Craig Tolliver,
or ali the party who were implicated
in the murder Of the Logan boys
some two weeks ago. Craig TOlliver
had received intimations of this. but
they were so vague that he supposed the
party would be regulators instead OF s
Sheriff's posse. TOlliver and his party,
u1uWS - 1f a.v. -,
indignant, 4. went heavily armed to
meet every eastward bound train at the
depot to search for suspicion characters
and to see that no one got off at Morehead
but those whom they desi ed. Sheriff
Hogg equipped his large Pal y with Win
chester rifles, and the uunition was
secretly conveyed to his reno ezvous while
he was organizing the posse.
Everything was ready for the move on
the Tolllver gang several days sgo, but, as
it was known that neither he nor any OF
his men would peacesbly submit to legal
arrest of any kind, it was deemed best to
have the plans thoroughly matured before
taking any decisive step. 1t was finally de-
| termlned to attempt the arrest of the assas-
sins Wednesday, June %, in the day time,
| to prevent any women, children or lnot-
iensive citizens from being killed by acct
/ dent. Accordingly at early hour this
| morning people living on the line
| of the railroad, within two or three
| miles of Morehead on each side
| of the town, were notified 60 stop all trains
/ and inform the conductors of what was go
| ing on in Morehead, so that the passengers
and train men would not be placed in dam
| ger. Sheriff Hoges band of resolute men,
numbering probably more than 200, APP
peared suddenly at Morehead at about 8
O'Clock this morning A Gordon was first
established around the entire town in the
brush where the men could not be seen.
| The Sheriff then entered the town at the
| head of about 100 well-armed men. Craig
TOlllver and his ten followers Immediately
retrea.ed to the Cottage Hotel, which they
had previously barricaded in such a man
ner as to make it quite formidable fortih-
cation. Sheriff Hogs then notified Tolli-
| yer that he had warrants Tor the arrest OF
all the men implicated in the killing of the
Logan boys and asked that they all submit
pesceably to arrest under the Law. Fnlf-
| ver's reply was that neither he nor his
men would be arrest d, and that hundred
men conld not take hem. His party then
opened FIRE upon the Sherllf's posse. Quite
a brisk rattle OF musketry ensued, and the
fighting was kept up probably for
two hours. The only casualties for q
time was a flesh wound received by
one of the Sheriff's posse. The attacking
party. however, were gradually drawing
their lines around Tolliver fertilization.
l and the besieged party, finding things